Health Information Technician Job Description Health information technicians (also called medical records technicians) manage, analyze and organize patient medical records and databases for statistical reports and studies. They design and manage health information systems to ensure they meet medical, legal and ethical standards. Seeing that each patient's medical record is complete, confidential and safeguarded from individuals not involved with the medical care of the patient are paramount concerns for health information technicians.  Education Requirements for Health Information Technicians Health information technicians entering the field usually have an associate degree from a career college or community college. Experienced technicians may specialize in medical coding, particularly Medicare coding, or in cancer registry. Most coding and registry skills are learned on the job. Some schools offer certificates in coding as part of the associate degree program for health information technicians. As of 2009, the National Cancer Registrars Association (NCRA) has approved eight cancer registry programs in the US and Canada. What You'll Study in a Health Information Technology Program Health information technology programs vary from school to school, but most programs cover the following topics: - Medical terminology
- Anatomy and physiology
- Legal aspects of health information
- Coding and abstraction of data
- Computer science
Health Information Technician Licensing Most employers prefer to hire Registered Health Information Technicians (RHIT) or Registered Health Information Administrators (RHIA), who have passed the written certification examinations offered by the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA). In order to qualify to take either the RHIT or RHIA examination, a person must graduate from a 2-year associate degree program accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM). Health information technicians who receive their training on the job or from non-CAHIIM-accredited programs are not eligible to take the examination. There are currently 243 CAHIIM-accredited programs for health information technicians and administrators. |
